By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Ocean County announced that on February 25, Juliette Tournier, 29, of Montgomery, Pennsylvania, was charged with Aggravated Arson in connection with an incident that occurred in Surf City on February 19.
This charge is in addition to charges filed against Tournier in Ship Bottom on February 20 for Eluding and Receiving Stolen Property, OCPO authorities say.
According to Ocean County officials, on February 19, at approximately 8:40 p.m., the Surf City Police and Fire Departments were dispatched for a report of a structure fire on North Central Avenue.
During the course of fire suppression efforts, a firefighter sustained injuries; the firefighter was transported to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township, where he was treated for his injuries and subsequently released, Ocean County officials stated.
OCPO authorities said that a thorough and extensive investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Surf City Police Department, and Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, revealed that there were two separate locations of origin for the fire - one upstairs and one downstairs.
Detectives further determined that in both cases, the cause of the fire was incendiary by an unknown person utilizing an open flame to ignitable liquids, Surf City Police said.
While investigating the fire, OCPO officials said detectives discovered that on February 19, at approximately 8:20 p.m., officers from the Ship Bottom Police Department attempted to effectuate a motor vehicle stop on a Honda HRV that was traveling westbound on Route 72.
The driver of the vehicle pulled over and stopped at the top of a bridge, Ocean County authorities said. The Officer approached the vehicle and asked the driver, later identified as Tournier, to drive over the bridge so that a safe motor vehicle stop could be conducted.
According to Ocean County officials, when the Officer attempted to effectuate the motor vehicle stop further up the road, the Honda sped off and failed to pull over. For safety reasons, the Officer terminated the pursuit.
A subsequent investigation into the incident revealed that the license plate attached to the eluding vehicle had been stolen from a similar Honda in Cherry Hill earlier in the day, OCPO officials stated.
Detectives were able to identify Tournier as the individual who stole the license plate, Surf City Police say. On February 20, Tournier was charged with Eluding and Receiving Stolen Property.
A warrant was issued for her arrest, and her name was entered into the National Crime Information Center database, Ocean County officials said.
OCPO authorities say that continuing investigation revealed that Tournier was also the individual responsible for setting the fires at the residence in Surf City on February 19.
As such, Tournier was charged with Aggravated Arson on February 25, according to Ocean County officials.
Ocean County officials said that on February 26, Tournier surrendered herself to the Surf City Police Department; she was transported to the Ocean County Jail, where she is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.